An Unexpected Enemy
by Donutisgay
Summary: When Jerris Fal is sent away from his teaching duties at the Jedi Temple to command the 141st legion of clone troopers, he finds a very disturbing revelation, and a very powerful enemy.


Jerris sat in his room of the Jedi temple meditating. Breathing slowly and deeply he cleared his mind. Just as he was beginning to get into a relaxingly deep meditation, the door to his room opened.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your meditation." Said the deep voice of Mace Windu.

"Its all right Master Windu, I was just about to stop anyways." Jerris said, standing up and smiling at the dark Jedi master. "Is something wrong?"

"Master Yoda wishes to see you. He is waiting in the gardens for you." Windu said, turning to leave. "He said it was time."

"Thank you Mater." Jerris said, bowing and following Mace out of his room.

Jerris made his way through the complex halls of the Jedi temples, greeting passersby and giving directions to a youngling. As he approached the gardens, the sound of running water filled his ears. Stepping outside he saw the fountains and flowing water, the sunlight shining off of the surface of the water. Jerris walked through the gardens, weaving between the fountains until he came across Yoda. Yoda's back was to Jerris, and he was sitting in a clearing, meditating. Jerris sat down quietly and closed his eyes, listening to the twinkling of the wind chimes and the soft running of the water.

After a few minutes longer, Yoda spoke up. "Waiting for one more we are. Then to business we will get."

In silence they waited and meditated. Jerris was feeling as though nothing could ruin it, until he sensed a presence enter the gardens. Footsteps came closer and closer until Jerris could hear steady breathing behind him.

"You summoned me Master Yoda?" Came Tal's voice.

"Yes, summoned you I did. And young Jerris as well." Yoda said as he and Jerris stood up. "Proved yourselves countless times, both of you have. Great teachers of the younglings you are Jerris, very reliable; but also headstrong and arrogant. And you Tal, a wonder with a lightsaber you are, able to predict enemy's moves and counter them, before even they know what is happening; but very quick to action and foolhardy you are."

Yoda turned to the fountain and sighed. Jerris and Tal looked at each other quizzically.

"Very powerful Jedi you both have become. Powerful Jedi that are needed on the battlefield. Been assigned your own clone battalions you have. To ensure peace you go to battle to drive the Sith away and out of the galaxy." Yoda said, turning back to them.

"What are you saying Master?" Jerris asked, tilting his head curiously.

"Assigned to you, your own battalions have. The 141st you shall lead to battle against our enemy." Yoda said, looking back and forth between them.

"Thank you Master." They both said, bowing.

"Waiting you commanders are in the main hangar. Depart immediately for the Kashyyyk system you will. Under siege the planet came, three days ago. Help the Wookies you must." Yoda said, smiling sadly up at them. "May the force be with you."

"May the force be with you." Jerris and Tal repeated, smiling and walking out, towards the hangar.

After packing their belongings in small backpacks, the two made their way to the hangar. When they walked in, they found a republic gunship nearby with two clone troopers next to it, talking. Jerris and Tal made their way over to the clones, who immediately noticed the Jedi.

"Sir." The trooper with red accents said, snapping to attention. "Captain Clockwork, ready for duty, sir."

"Relax Clockwork, you don't have to salute, we're all friends here." Jerris said, shaking Clockwork's hand.

"I'm Commander Ocean." The one with yellow accents said, extending his hand to Tal. "You must be General Tal. I've been assigned to you."

Tal took the man's hand and shook it, smiling. "Hey, I get the commander." Tal said, looking at Jerris with a smug look.

"Don't let ranks fool you. Clockwork denied the position three times before they gave it to Ocean." Another red-accented trooper said, stepping out of the gunship.

Clockwork shrugged. "I like where I am, plus, I couldn't handle all of that paperwork." He said with a chuckle.

"Hey guys, don't we have a planet to get to?" Another trooper said, sticking his head out of the gunship.

"We're coming Case." Clockwork said, shaking his head and sighing. "So damn impatient."

"Alright guys, one way to Kashyyyk." The pilot said as they boarded the gunship. "And you're in luck, only one stop."

Jerris chuckled, shaking his head. "Lets go help some Wookies."

"Get down!" Clockwork shouted as a nearby AT-TE exploded.

"Blast it. We need to take out those Vulture Droids." Jerris said, cutting down a Battle Droid.

"They're coming back around!" Another trooper shouted, pointing at the sky.

"Everyone down!" Clockwork yelled as the Vulture Droids fired their missiles, destroying another tank.

"Our fighters should have been here by now General!" Volcano, another member of Clockwork's squad, shouted over the incoming fire.

Jerris sighed, swinging his lightsaber and cutting down another droid. He jumped out of the way of the blast from a droid tank, landing on his back. Standing up and deflecting laser fire, Jerris yelled back to his troops.

"Fall back, there's too many of them. Everybody fall back to the village!" He shouted, deflecting a laser back at a droid, destroying it.

The troops started running back to the village, the last tank exploding in a ball of fire. Jerris and Clockwork stood side-by-side, taking down droids and covering their men's escape.

"You know General, I'm not sure we're going to be able to take back the planet without reinforcements." Clockwork said, blasting a droid with one of his dual wield pistols.

Just as Clockwork finished his sentence, there was a loud roar from behind them, followed by clone troopers and Wookies alike rushing for the battle droids.

"Looks like we got our reinforcements." Jerris said with a smile as he and Clockwork ran forward with the rest, slicing and blasting droids on all sides.

The renewed momentum they gained was pushing the droids back. Just as the droids were starting to retreat, Jerris's comlink began emitting many voices at once. Whatever it was that had been blocking the signal before was gone, and the scattered clone troopers were now taking advantage of it. Above all of the chatter, he heard the voice of his top pilot, Ice.

"Republic bombers have broken through, we are coming hot, location 7-7-5-4-9-9-0-3!" He said as the bomber squadron soared overhead, dropping proton bombs on the droids and their tanks.

The clones cheered as the droids broke into full retreat toward their compound. Jerris deactivated his lightsaber and placed it back onto his belt, smiling. Clockwork walked up beside him and took of his helmet, chuckling.

"That went quite well for your first battle General." He said, smiling at Jerris.

"Yes, I admit it could have been worse, but we still lost a lot of good men. And we still have that compound to deal with." Jerris said, stroking his beard.

"I suggest me and you take that down personally sir, accompanied by a small task force of course." Clockwork said, looking at the compound through his macrobinoculars.

"Good idea, though we'd need a distraction if we are going to get in unnoticed." Jerris said, frowning.

Volcano chuckled from behind him, causing Jerris and Clockwork to turn and look at him. He was tossing a thermal detonator un and down, a smile on his face.

"Leave that to me sir."


End file.
